Are the museums on this Oxford walk free to enter?

Yes, the major museums on this route, including the History of Science Museum and the Natural History Museum, offer free admission. However, donations are encouraged, and some may require booking a free timed-entry ticket online in advance.

Is the Pitt Rivers Museum suitable for children?

Yes, it is very popular with families due to its 'treasure hunt' atmosphere. However, parents should be aware that the collection includes weaponry and human remains (though many sensitive items have been removed), and the lighting is kept low to preserve artifacts.

What is the best time to start this walking route?

The best time to start is around 10:30 AM on a weekday. This allows you to beat the school groups that often arrive at the Natural History Museum and ensures you have several hours before the museums close, typically around 5:00 PM.

Where can I see the Oxford Dodo?

The remains of the Dodo are located in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History on Parks Road. It is one of the museum's most famous exhibits and is located on the main ground floor gallery.

Can I see Einstein's blackboard in Oxford?

Yes, the chalkboard used by Albert Einstein during his 1931 lectures is a permanent exhibit at the History of Science Museum on Broad Street. It is one of the most photographed objects in the university's scientific collection.

Is this walking route accessible for strollers or wheelchairs?

The route is largely accessible, with paved sidewalks and flat terrain. The museums have lift access, though the Pitt Rivers Museum has narrow aisles that can be difficult to navigate with large strollers during busy periods.

Can I go inside the Radcliffe Observatory?

The Radcliffe Observatory is now part of Green Templeton College and is generally not open to the public for interior tours. However, you can view its stunning exterior and the Tower of the Winds architecture from the surrounding grounds and Woodstock Road.

Zigway - The Guide Follows You

About This Tour

Oxford is synonymous with dreaming spires and ancient colleges, but beneath the ivory towers lies a legacy of groundbreaking discovery and the delightfully macabre. This self-guided walk invites you to explore the 'Science Area' and its world-class museums, where the history of human knowledge is preserved in glass cases and grand Victorian architecture. From the world's oldest purpose-built museum building to the hauntingly beautiful collections of the Pitt Rivers, you will traverse the evolution of medicine, astronomy, and anthropology. This neighborhood stroll captures the essence of Oxford's intellectual curiosity, showing how the city moved from the alchemy of the 17th century to the cutting-edge laboratories of today. The route begins at the very heart of the university's scientific origins on Broad Street. Here, you will encounter relics of genius, including the chalkboard used by Albert Einstein. As you move toward the Victorian Gothic masterpieces of the Parks Road area, the atmosphere shifts from the academic to the adventurous. You will walk through the 'Cathedral of Science,' a stunning iron-and-glass structure housing prehistoric giants, before entering the dense, atmospheric world of ethnographic wonders. This walking route Oxford offers a deep dive into the curiosities that have fascinated scholars for centuries, including the famous shrunken heads and the remains of the extinct Dodo. Beyond the museums, the path takes you through the evolving 'Science Area,' where modern medicine was born, and concludes at a stunning 18th-century observatory modeled after the Tower of the Winds in Athens. This is not just a walk through buildings; it is a journey through the human mind's attempt to map the stars, the earth, and ourselves. Whether you are a history buff, a science enthusiast, or simply a curious traveler, this explore Oxford experience provides a unique perspective on the university's global impact. Discover the stories behind the specimens at your own pace, away from the typical tourist crowds, and see how Oxford shaped the modern world.

Highlights

Einstein’s blackboard at the History of Science Museum

The stunning Victorian Gothic architecture of the Natural History Museum

The world-famous ethnographic collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum

The 'Abbot's Kitchen,' the world's first purpose-built chemistry lab

The iconic Radcliffe Observatory, inspired by ancient Athens

The remains of the legendary Oxford Dodo

Tour Stops (6)

History of Science Museum

Welcome to the Old Ashmolean building, the world's oldest purpose-built museum. Opened in 1683, this structure was designed to house the curiosities of Elias Ashmole, but it soon became a hub for the 'new' experimental sciences. As you look at the facade, imagine the basement filled with chemical furnaces and the upper floors with rare specimens. Today, it holds a treasure trove of scientific instruments. The most famous resident is a simple chalkboard used by Albert Einstein during a lecture in Oxford in 1931. While the equations for the density and age of the universe remain frozen in chalk, the museum also houses ornate astrolabes and early surgical tools that reveal the transition from medieval mysticism to modern reason.

Abbot's Kitchen, Oxford

Tucked away near the University Museum is a peculiar stone structure known as the Abbot's Kitchen. While its name suggests a monastic dining hall, it was actually built in 1860 as one of the world's first dedicated chemistry laboratories. The architects based the design on the medieval kitchen of Glastonbury Abbey, believing that the high, vaulted ceiling and ventilation would be perfect for whisking away the noxious fumes and occasional explosions of Victorian chemical experiments. It represents a fascinating moment in Oxford's history where the university’s medieval aesthetic collided with the industrial revolution's scientific demands. Although it is now part of the Chemistry Department, its exterior remains a testament to the quirky evolution of laboratory design.

Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Enter the 'Cathedral of Science.' This breathtaking Victorian Gothic building, with its iron-and-glass roof and stone columns representing different geological strata, was designed to celebrate the natural world. It was here in 1860 that the famous 'Great Debate' on evolution took place between Thomas Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce, just months after Darwin published 'On the Origin of Species.' Inside, look for the Oxford Dodo—the most complete remains of the extinct bird in the world. The skeletons of dinosaurs and whales stand beneath a canopy of intricate ironwork, making this one of the most beautiful spaces in the city to contemplate the history of life on Earth.

Pitt Rivers Museum

Accessed through the back of the Natural History Museum, the Pitt Rivers is a 'museum of a museum.' Unlike modern galleries with minimalist displays, this space is packed with over half a million objects arranged by type rather than geography. You are surrounded by a dense forest of masks, weapons, musical instruments, and charms. The most famous—and controversial—exhibits are the 'tsantsas' or shrunken heads from the Upper Amazon. While the museum has recently updated its displays to reflect modern ethical standards regarding human remains, the collection remains an unparalleled look at how different cultures have solved the same human problems throughout history. It is a place of shadows, secrets, and immense cultural depth.

South Parks Road

Walking along South Parks Road, you are in the heart of Oxford’s 'Science Area.' This stretch of road saw a massive expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the university pivoted toward modern research. To your sides are the departments where penicillin was first purified for clinical use, a breakthrough that saved millions of lives during World War II. The architecture here is a mix of stern Victorian brickwork and mid-century functionalism. This area marks the shift from the individual 'gentleman scientist' working in a college room to the massive, collaborative research efforts that define modern academia. It is a bustling corridor of innovation where the next generation of Nobel laureates is likely currently at work.

Radcliffe Observatory

We conclude our walk at the Radcliffe Observatory, a masterpiece of 18th-century architecture. Completed in 1794, its design was inspired by the Tower of the Winds in Athens, topped by a statue of Atlas holding the world. For over 150 years, astronomers tracked the stars from this tower, benefitting from its (at the time) rural location away from the city’s coal smoke. Today, it sits at the center of Green Templeton College. The observatory symbolizes the Age of Enlightenment, a time when humanity looked upward to understand its place in the cosmos. Though the telescopes are gone, the building remains one of the most elegant landmarks in Oxford’s scientific landscape, standing as a monument to our eternal desire to explore the unknown.

Frequently Asked Questions

The walk itself is only about 20-30 minutes of movement, but you should allow 2 to 3 hours in total. This provides enough time to explore the extensive collections inside the History of Science Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum.